Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) (founded as the Daughters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary are a Catholic teaching religious institute for women. The institute was founded in Spain in 1848 by Father Joachim Masmitjá as a means of rebuilding society through the education of young women. A separate community was founded in Los Angeles, California, US in 1871, and formally established in 1924.

Joaquin Masmitjá was born in Olot, Spain, on December 29, 1808, the fourth child of Francisco and Maria Gracia. He entered the minor seminary for the Diocese of Gerona and then went on to get degrees in canon and civil law. Masmitjá, who was greatly devoted to the Blessed Virgin under the titles of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sorrowful Mother, was ordained a priest on February 22, 1834.

Assigned to his hometown parish, Fr. Masmitjá became increasingly concerned over the poor education of young girls. he sought to rebuild society through their education in prayer and Christian Doctrine. On July 1, 1848, Fr. Joaquin Masmitjá founded the Institute of the Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

During the Spanish Civil War Sisters Carmen (age 41), Rosa (age 36) and Magdalena (age 34) Fradera, who were also blood sisters, were executed by the militia. They are among the 498 Martyrs of 20th Century Spain beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.

In 1869, Father Masmitja's friend the Bishop of Monterey, California was visiting Spain. At that time, the bishop, Thaddeus Amat y Brusi, asked for some of the sisters to come to California. Two years later, with Father Masmitja's approval, Mother Raimunda led nine others to the new California mission. The Sisters established two houses, one in Gilroy and the other in San Juan. Very soon, the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart were teaching in several schools in different parts of California. Their lifestyle attracted young women to follow the charisma of Fr. Masmitja, and the Sisters inaugurated a third house in San Luis Obispo (1876), a fourth house in San Bernardino (1880), and finally the last house during the lifetime of Fr. Masmitja was established in Los Angeles (1886).

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